Protection for water-tube-cleaning elements



yPatented Mar. y3, 19245.

UNITED s'rATEs PATENT OFFICE..

H-OWARD J. KERR, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE BABCOCK & WIL- COX COMPANY, OFBAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, CORPORATION F NEW JERSEY.

PROTECTION FOR WATERHTUBE-GLEANING ELEMENTS.

Application led October 4, 1923. Serial No. 666,487.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HOWARD J. KERR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Protection for W ater-Tube-Cleaning Elements, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements for protecting water tube 'cleaning elements, particularlyv where such elements are exposed to extremely high heat and will be best understood from the following description and the annexed drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, of a well-'known form of water tube boiler with some of the parts broken away and embodying an illusltrative form of my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 ofbFig. 2 and Fig. 4 is a perspective Aof a detail.

Like parts are indicated by like reference characters.

In the illustrative embodiment, the boiler` has vertical uptake headers 10 and downtake headers 11, connected by water tubes 12, the -two lower rows 13 and 14 being spaced from the main bank of the water tubes and a row of tubes 15 connecting the mud drums 16 and 17. Transverse vertical bames 18 and 19 eX- tend across the main bank of tubes and a lon` gitudinal baflie 20 extends'above the tubes 13 to a vertical baie 21 which, in turn, connects with a longitudinal baille 22 extending to the transverse bailie 18.

The lowermost rows of'tubes 13, 14 and 15 are exposed for substantially their entire length of the furnace gases which sweep across them and into the lirst pass formed between the headers 10 and the transverse baille 18.

In order to remove deposits, such as slag,

oughly protected and such protectionis pro- Vvided in the arrangement illustrated by tube 23 extends across the water tubes in the i usual manner and is encased by a metallic cover made up of metallic covering members f or blocks 24 laced end to end.

Each bloc 'is made up ofy two parts by dividing the block in a plane parallel with the axis of the tube 23,. each part having a recessv25 adapted to' fit the water tube to which it is connected. Each part of each block has a projection 26 provided with a semi-cylindrical recess 26 ywhich, when mated with a corresponding semi-cylindrical recess 26 in the other part of the block, forms a tubular opening surrounding the blower tube 23.

Each part of each block 24 is provided with a loop 27, surrounding the water tube and having its ends extending through the member 24, nuts 28 serving to draw the surface of the recess 25 against the .water tube to provide a close thermal contact between the blocky and the water tube. By reason of this close thermal contact the members 24 with their protecting hoods 26 are maintained at the relatively cool temperature 'of the water tubes themselves.

In the illustrative arrangement, recesses 29 are formed in the ends of each of the members 24 so that when these membersare placed end to end, an opening or duct is formed from the cylindrical opening 26 for the blower tube 23 to the exterior of the member. In the illustrative arrangement, nipples 30 extend from the blower tube 23 through the openings 29 todirect the cleaning jets along the water tubes, the steam or other cleaning fluid being supplied to the ends of the blower tubes 23 through suitable piping, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 in a well-known manner.

I Preferably the members .24 are arrangedl so that they will form a continuous barrierV across the' water tubes beneath the blower tubes 23. In the illustrative arrangement,

va tight joint for this purpose between the end of the members 24 1s provided by forming a lip 31 at one end ofeach member 24 and a corresponding recess 32 at the oppos1te end. Preferably also the inner edge of one of each set of members24 is provided with a recess 33 into which extends a projection 34 on the member 24 of the pair. By the means illustrated, a substan tially gas-tight joint,regardless of relative motionbetween the water tubes, is formed between the blocks 24 so that no 4radiant heat can reach the blower tube-23 and so that the gases are diverted from the blower tube. By this means, together with the entire covering of the tube 23 and the close thermal contact between the members 24 and the water tubes, the blower tube 23' will be kept suiiiciently cool to prevent its destruction.

While in the arrangement illustrated, I have provided nipples 30 extending` through recesses in the members 24, it will be understood that, if desired, the recess 29 may be used to direct the. steam jets from the' boiler tube 23, thus eliminating the nipples 30.

In the illustrative arrangement I have shown two blower tubes each arranged as described, one of the tubes being arranged to clean the water tubes `15 and the' other the water tubes 14. As a further protection, I preferably place theseI tubes and their casing close together and ll the spaces between them with some refractory material such as asbestos, as shown at 34 in Figure l.

By dividing the blocks 24 into two parts each, the parts may be readily disassembled yand assembled. The recesses 29 .are formed of such size and shape that when a loop27 is loosened and removed, its .part

of the block may be moved along the water tube to free it from the other part and the nipples 30 and, of course, an opposite course ma be followed in assembling the parts.

Il; will be understood that the arrangement shown in the drawing is merely illustrative and that the embodiment of my invention may be widely varied.

I claim:

1. In a water tube boiler, a blower element extending across a row of water tubes l in the path of gases flowing across the tubes,

and a metallic cover' and support for` said element comprising a plurality of metal blocks, each having a tubular openingsurrounding the blower element and said blocksbeing arranged end to end to form a continuous tubular opening extending the length of, the element and eac'h block having ,an extended surface adapted to fit against awater tube, and means on each block to connect it to lone water tube only and to draw its extended surface into contact with the water tube, said blower element having lateral jet elements extending from the sides thereof through ducts formed in said blocks.

2. In' a water tube boiler, a blower ele- 65 ment extending across a row of water tubes in the path of gases flowing'across the tubes and a metallic cover vand sup ort for said element com rising a lurahty of metal blocks, each aving a tu roundingthe blower element and said blocks being arranged,v end to end to form a continuousy tubular opening extending the length ,of the element and each block having an extended surface adapted to t against a water tube, and means on each block to connect it to one water tube only and to draw its extended surface into contact with the water tube, said blower element having lateral jet elements extending from the sides thereof through ducts formed vin said blocks, a part'of each duct forming a recess in the end of each of said blocks.

3. In a water tube boiler, a blower ele- 1n the path of gases flowing across the tubes,

and a metallicv cover and support for said element comprising' a plurality of metal blocks, each having a tubular opening surA I rounding the blower` element 'and -said 90 blocks being arranged end to end to form a continuous tubular opening extending the length ofthe element and each block having an extended surface adapted, to fit against a water tube, and means on each block to connect it to one water tube only and to draw its extended surface into contact with the water tube, said blower element having lateral jet elements extending from Vthe sides thereof through ducts i* formed in said blocks, a part of each duct forming a recess in the end of each of said blocks and each pair of adjacent blocks being provided with overlapping adjacent portions to form a barrier for the gases bes 105 neath the water tubes. v

4. In a water tube boiler, a blower ele ment extending across a row of water tubes in the path of gases flowing across the tubes,

and ,a metallic cover and support -for said part to attach it to the water tube, each of said blocks having a tubular opening extending therethrouglr with a part of such opening in each part of the block, and the blocks being arranged end to end to form a continuous tubular opening extending the length of the blower element, said blocks having lateral ducts therein extending from the exterior to said tubular openin HOWARD J. KERR.

ment extending across a row of water tubes ,85 

